Counting device



Nov. 22, 1938. ,J, ALBERTQLI 2,137,329

COUNTING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1936 INVENTOR JOHN HLBEIZTOLI.

@ Q9 H/f ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTING DEVICE John Albertoli, San Francisco, Calif.

Application June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,791

Claims. (Cl. 23598) My invention relates to a counting device, and onto the blades 2. The objects to be counted are particularly to a device for counting objects such directed onto the rotor blades 2 by any suitable as pieces of fruit prepared for canning. means, as for example a chute or slide H. As It is among the objects of my invention to prO- each object moves onto a blade 2, the lever 9 is 5 vide'a counting device which is simple, inexpendisplaced sufficiently to raise the arm 6 out of en- 5 sive, and efficient; and which is particularly suited gag'ement with the next blade 2. The rotor turns for counting halved fruit preparatory to canning under the load of the object, and as the object the same. drops away from the lever 9, the detent arm 6 The invention possesses other objects and feaswings back into the path of the succeeding blade 10. tures of advantage, some of which, with the foreand blocks further movement of the rotor until 1 going, will be set forth in the following descripthe detent is again released. tion'of my invention. It is to be understood that A weighted arm l2, pivoted as at 13, is nor- I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species mally held by gravity against a stop l4 to preof my invention, as I may adopt variant embodivent rotation of the rotor l ina reverse direction, l5.v ments thereof within the scope of the claims. the arm l2 being displaced by the blades as they Referring to the drawing: are moved past the arm l2 in one direction, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of a counting device then immediately dropping back onto the stop is embodying my invention, the near housing plate to prevent movement of the rotor in the opbeing removed, and parts being shown in section; posite direction.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device illus- A suitable counter, designated in general by 20 trated in Figure l; and the numeral [6, is arranged to be operated in ac- Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the left cordance with the movement of objects past the side of the device as shown in Figure 2. rotor l for counting the objects. The counter is 1 Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified preferably comprises a plurality of counter disks form of the rotor. ll, I8, I 9 and 20 mounted upon shafts 2| between In terms of broad inclusion, the counting deframe plates 22. The counter disks are preferably vice of my invention comprises a rotor having geared together in a desired gear ratio, and are blades onto which objects to be counted are fed, driven by a pinion 23 upon the rotor shaft 3 the rotor and blades preferably being turned by meshing with gear teeth 24 upon the disk H. The

; the weight of the objects, and cooperating with a succeeding disks l8, l9, and 20 may be provided movable detent actuated by the objects to permit with similar gear teeth 24 meshing with pinions a step by step movement of the rotor for advanc- 25 carried by the preceding disks of the train, ing the blades successively to object receiving poso that each disk is rotated by the preceding sition. A counter is actuated in accordance with disk at a fixed. ratio of movement. the movement of the rotor for indicating the The several disks are calibrated in accordance 35 number. of objects fed therepast. with the gear ratio of the toothed disks and their In terms of greater detail, the counting device driving pinions. For a four bladed rotor a ratio of my invention comprises a rotor I provided with of 10 to l is desirable. In that case, the first disk a plurality of blades 2 and mounted upon a shaft IT may be calibrated in units from 0 to 40 with 4,0, 3 journaled between a pair of housing plates 4 the disk I! arranged to move through one unit for 40 held in spaced relation by a plurality of spacing each quarter revolution of the rotor l. The secrods 5. The blades are of a size suitable for re- 0nd .disk 18, is then calibrated in intervals of 40 ceiving a single object, such as a half pear or from 0 to 400; the third disk I9, in intervals of peach 400; and the fourth disk 20, in intervals of 4000.

4 5 The movement of the rotor I is controlled by a, Pointers 26 are mounted upon one of the frame suitable detent comprising an arm 6 pivoted beplates 22 in association with the calibrations of tween the plates 4 above the rotor, and arranged the several counter disks by which the disks may to extend into the path of movement of the blades be read.

2 to form an abutment limiting the movement of A gate 21 is preferably pivotally mounted bethe rotor in one direction. The arm 6 is pro-- tween the plates 4 for directing objects from the 50 vided with a weighted portion 1 by which the arm rotor blades 2 onto a conveyor 28, or other suitable is normally held by gravity against a stop 8. means for delivering the objects to a desired point A lever 9 is connected to the detent arm 6 for of delivery. The gate 21 is preferably provided moving the arm 6 out of the path of the blades 2, with a weighted arm 29, normally resting upon a 555 said lever 9 extending into the path of objects fed stop 30, and permitting a limited swinging move- 5 ment of the gate as objects are carried therepast by the blades 2.

The counting device is particularly adapted for use in the canning of fruit such as halved pears or peaches. In this connection, the pieces of fruit are delivered onto the slide I, either manually or by a suitable conveying means. As each piece moves downwardly along the slide I I onto a blade 2, the detent arm 6 is displaced to momentarily free the rotor. As the rotor turns under the load imposed thereon by the fruit, the piece of fruit drops from under the lever 9, thereby permitting the arm 6 to drop back onto its stop 8 in time to en age the succeeding blade and prevent further rotation of the rotor until the detent is again tripped by another piece of fruit. In this manner, the rotor is advanced step by step to carry the blades successively into the fruit receiving position. The rotation of the rotor l operates through the pinion 23 to actuate the cotmter NS for indicating the number of pieces of fruit delivered past the rotor.

The counting device may be mounted at any convenient station for keeping accurate count of the pieces of fruit passing therethrough. For example a counting device may be provided for each of the operators, or groups of operators, who initially halve the fruit for keeping count of the number of pieces of fruit prepared; or a counter may be arranged to keep a count of the pieces as they pass from one step to another in the canning process. The device may of course be used in similar manner in other connections where objects may be delivered onto the rotor blades for actuating the counting mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment of the device illustrated in the drawing, a partition 3| is mounted centrally between the housing plates 4. The blades 2 are formed with slots 32 to permit the blades to move past the partition; and the lever 9 is provided with a slot 33 arranged to receive the partition 3! with portions of the lever disposed on opposite sides of the partition.

In this arrangement, objects may be fed onto the rotor l upon either side of the partition 3|. This permits the objects to be classified as to grade by the operator as the objects are delivered to the counting device. At the same time, an accurate count is made of the total number of objects fed past the rotor l, irrespective of the grades of the objects. The objects, so classifled and counted may be carried to separate points of delivery by the conveyor 28.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of the rotor wherein the partition 3| is carried by the rotor I itself. The partition 3| is located substantially midway between the sides of the blades 4 so that objects may be fed onto the blade portions on either side of the partition according to the grade of each object.

I claim:

1. A device for counting objects comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of blades upon which the objects may be directed and bodily supported for counting, the rotor being actuated by the weight of the objects, a detent controlled by the objects delivered onto the blades for limiting movement of the rotor, the detent being moved by objects fed onto one blade of the rotor for releasing the rotor and being arranged to be moved into the path of a succeeding blade for insuring the return of the detent to its initial position after each operation, means dividing each blade into a plurality of areas upon which the objects may be selectively fed, and a yieldable guide adjacent the rotor and cooperating therewith for directing the objects along an arcuate path.

2. A counting device comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of blades arranged to successively receive objects fed thereto for counting and to be actuated by the weight of the objects for conveying said objects bodily to a point of delivery, a detent having a pair of diverging arms one of which normally blocks movement of the rotor and the other of which is arranged to be displaced by an object as it is fed onto the rotor for moving the first arm to release the rotor, said second arm being moved into the path of a rotor blade next approaching its object receiving position in such manner that said approaching blade cannot be moved to said object receiving position until the detent arms have been returned to their respective normal positions, and counting means actuated by the rotor for indicating the number of objects fed onto the rotor.

3. A counting device comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of blades arranged to successively receive objects fed thereto for counting and to be actuated by the weight of the objects for conveying said objects bodily to a point of delivery, partition means dividing the rotor blades into separate portions arranged to receive objects, a detent having a pair of diverging arms one of which normally blocks movement of the rotor and the other of which is arranged to be displaced by an object as it is fed onto the rotor for moving the first arm to release the rotor, second arm being moved into the path of a rotor blade next approaching its object receiving position in such manner that said approaching blade cannot be moved to said object receiving position until the detent arms have been returned to their respective normal positions, and counting means actuated by the rotor for indicating the number of objects fed onto the rotor.

i. A counting device comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of blades arranged to suecessively receive objects fed thereto for counting and to be actuated by the weight of the objects for conveying said objects bodily to a point of delivery, a detent having a pair of diverging arms one of which normally blocks movement of the rotor and the other of which is arranged to be displaced by an object as it is fed onto the rotor for moving the first arm to release the rotor, said second arm being moved into the path of a rotor blade next approaching its object receiving position in such manner that said approaching blade cannot be moved to said object receiving position until the detent arms have been returned to their respective normal positions, 9, yieldable guide mounted adjacent the path of the rotor blades between the receiving and delivery points for retaining the objects upon the blades during movement between said points, and counting means actuated by the rotor for indicating the number of objects fed onto the rotor.

5. A counting device comprising a rotor provided with a plurality of blades arranged to successively receive objects fed thereto for counting and to be actuated by the weight of the objects for conveying said objects bodily to a point of delivery, partition means dividing the rotor blades into separate portion arranged to receive objects, a detent having a pair of diverging arms one of which normally block movement of the rotor and the other of which is arranged to be displaced by an object as it is fed onto the rotor for moving the first arm to release the rotor, said second arm being moved into the path of the rotor blade next approaching its object receiving position in such manner that said approaching blade cannot be moved to said object receiving position until the detent arms have been returned to their respective normal positions, a yieldable guide mounted adjacent the path of the rotor blades between the receiving and delivery points for retaining the objects upon the blades during movement between said points, and counting means actuated by the rotor for indicating the number of objects fed onto the rotor.

JOHN ALBERTOLI. 

